We've been asked many times 'How much ashes weigh?' for sending and converting into a diamond.Half an everyday cup would weigh approx' 100 grams.A heaped tablespoon of ashes weighs around the 35 grams mark.Half a cupful of hair in a firm ball weighs around 25 grams and is usually sufficient to make a 1 carat canary coloured diamond.

Phoenix-Diamonds.com is part of a group of Internet trading companies established in 2000 in Macclesfield, Cheshire.After working as an agent for a major US supplier of laboratory diamonds and becoming disillusioned by the huge prices involved, Mike Kelly began researching the specialist field of man-made memorial diamonds and set up Phoenix-Diamonds once his team could offer increased capacity and a greater range of colours.The process of creating man-made diamonds has been around since the 1950s, when the Russians perfected the laboratory techniques and the published patent was then secured by GE of America, allegedly beating De Beers by just seven days. The Phoenix Group employs HPHT (high pressure with high heat over time) to create canary coloured diamonds, but adopts a slightly different process for its new blue range. It also manufactures blue/white, amber, green and red diamonds, although pink eludes it – for the time being.Mike believes the UK’s funeral profession could become a bigger driving force behind the development of the memorial diamonds industry. He realises that funeral directors may not be looking to offer yet another fairly expensive service, but remains convinced that memorial diamonds are a perfect way to immortalise a loved one. Also, as valuable diamonds in their own right – they possess the same characteristics as mined diamonds and are cut and polished to be set as a pendant or ring – they can be passed down the generations.“With so few genuine memorial diamond makers in the world, we feel sure that bereaved families would welcome information on the services available before they bury or scatter their relative’s ashes and the opportunity is lost forever,” he says.“We wanted to join the NAFD to develop relationships with funeral directors, especially since they often play a key role. Even if the deceased is to be buried, creating a memorial diamond from the remains is still feasible because our technicians can use hair and nails, both of which are rich sources of carbon. However, they require very delicate handling and there is only a small window – between viewing and burial – in which to take the necessary action.”Mike is keen to dispel any confusion regarding genuine memorial diamonds and fakes and says laboratories that offer certification (either by the GIA or the UK Assay Office) are sure to be creating real diamonds. He also suggests that, since DNA dies at a low temperature and there is unlikely to be sufficient carbon in a single hair strand, it would be difficult to create a true memorial diamond. Synthetics like CZ (cubic zirconium) and Moissanite (silicon carbide) are cheaper to manufacture but their quality and value simply does not compare.Phoenix Group’s technicians have now perfected a means of extracting carbon from a baby’s umbilical cord, which has prompted Celebration-diamonds.com.For further information visit www.phoenix-diamonds.com or contact Mike Kelly on 0870 881 0612 or email sales@phoenix-diamonds.com